Cobb County election authorities are moving to overnight replacement ballots to voters after a third-party mailing backlog delayed the delivery of absentee-by-mail packets ahead of Election Day. The Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration announced that a limited number of voters who requested mail-in ballots have encountered delivery hold-ups.
Officials traced the distribution breakdown to the county’s third-party absentee ballot vendor, Fort Orange Press. The mailing delay primarily impacts voters whose ballots were logged as officially issued by the county between Oct. 7 and Oct. 15 but failed to arrive in their mailboxes.
To correct the issue, election staff are overnighting replacement ballots directly to eligible voters utilizing USPS Priority Express Mail. Each replacement package will include a prepaid USPS Priority Express return envelope to facilitate secure and rapid return shipping.
County officials established strict safeguards regarding the replacement process. Replacement ballots will not be issued to individuals who already hold their originally requested absentee ballot, have already cast a ballot through alternative voting methods, or have previously canceled their initial request. Furthermore, county authorities have not yet publicly disclosed the precise number of voters impacted by the vendor mishap, nor have they detailed the specific logistical or printing failures at Fort Orange Press that generated the backlog.
Voters who submitted an absentee ballot request between Oct. 7 and Oct. 15 and remain unsupplied must contact the Cobb Elections Department directly at 770-528-2581 or via email at abm@cobbcounty.gov to report the delivery failure. Officials noted that relatives are strictly prohibited from submitting a request on a voter’s behalf.
To secure a replacement, individuals must provide necessary identifying information so staff can verify that the missing documentation falls within the affected batch. Voters are also required to sign the county’s standard cancellation affidavit, a form accessible online through the official Cobb County government website.
All completed ballots must be physically delivered to the elections office before polls close at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Election officials emphasized that no deadline extension will be granted.
